Drawings are known as one of the oldest forms of artistic expression and are presumably also the most sustainable ones. However, for the production of a drawn animation film it is necessary to use a variety of technical and digital devices which we began to perceive as part of a development that has become a major threat to our environment.
The animated short film "I've never been to Pine Island" confronts the media of drawing and film in order to investigate the relation between sustainability and technology. The film primarily consists of analog drawn animation scenes that open up a multi-causal space for thought and action: the animation evolves as a filmic illusion under the camera but is being disrupted by revealing its own artificiality. The making of the film is a way of developing thoughts within the film. Thus, the material as well as the process of animating become an integral part of the film’s dramaturgy and narration. In this way, the film explores the potential of association, exploration and the process of making as an alternative to a rational and reason-controlled interpretation of the world that surrounds us.
Project lead: Aline Helmcke
Contact: mail(at)ahelmcke.com